Griz Days eh!

Share:

Griz Days is Fernie B.C’s annual winter festival, held each year on the first weekend of March, this year the festival dates are March 1st, 2nd & 3rd.

And what may you ask is the Griz? As any local will tell you, in 1879, the Griz was born in a ferocious grizzly bear’s den, prompting an epic battle between child and bear. The townsfolk, fearful of the noise heard that night, sent out a party in search of the cause. One man saw a boy wearing a bear coat and hat, but because no one believed what the man had seen, the sighting was almost forgotten. The Griz was last seen by backcountry tourers ascending the peaks above Fernie Alpine Resort in a heavy snowstorm. No longer a boy, the Griz is of average height with broad shoulders six feet wide, holding an eight-foot musket. The skiers watched the 300-pound Griz shoot his giant musket into the clouds, coaxing snow to fall. In his honour, the Fernie host’s Griz days every year in early spring.

And for a local tip, don’t forget to be wearing your Griz Pin or you could end up in the Griz jail! Griz Pins are available for sale all over Fernie at a cost of $3 each or 2 for $5- the lotto is back, so there’s a number on the back of each pin, after Griz weekend a winning number is drawn and whoever has that pin wins $1000 cash!!! A great portion of the money raised by sale of Griz Pins will go to the Fernie Food Bank.

Some popular Griz weekend events are; the Griz Days Parade- held on the Saturday evening at 6:30pm, the theme this year is ‘Light up the Night’, The Extreme Griz Competition, a just-for-fun competition for mountain men & women to compete at things like axe throwing, log sawing, snowshoeing, pancake eating, and more- held during the afternoon on Saturday at Fernie Alpine Resort, the Griz Days craft fair is also a very popular annual event, held Saturday at the Fernie Community Centre from 10am – 4pm, entrance by Griz Pin! Downtown Fernie sees most of the action, on both Friday and Saturday evenings there will be a stage with live entertainment, a 19+ refreshment garden, food concessions, and the very popular Commit to Pain Rail Jam- sponsored this year by CP Rail. And don’t forget the Fireworks display on Saturday night, early enough so that families can stay and watch.